Movement for the Liberation of the Congo

The Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC) is a liberal political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Led by Jean-Pierre Bemba, the MLC took part in the guerrilla war against Joseph Kabila's government during the Second Congo War, and it controlled much of the north of the country with Ugandan support. In 2002, Bemba became Vice-President after a peace agreement ended the war, and he came second in the 2006 presidential election. In 2007, the MLC engaged in a brief war with the Congolese army due to its refusal to integrate in the military out of concern for Bemba's safety; it later re-entered politics, and it held 64/500 National Assembly and 14/108 Senate seats in mid-2017.